Three numbers, three jobs. An SSN identifies a US person. An ITIN identifies an individual who can’t get an SSN but still has to file US taxes. An EIN identifies a business. As a non-resident founder, the one you almost always need is the EIN, and you can get it with none of the others.
The reason these get tangled is that they’re all nine-digit US tax numbers and people use “tax ID” to mean any of them. They are not interchangeable. Here’s what each does and which ones apply to forming, banking, and filing.
The three numbers at a glance
| SSN | ITIN | EIN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identifies | A US person | An individual | A business |
| Who it's for | Citizens / authorized residents | People ineligible for an SSN | Companies (and some individuals) |
| Apply with | Social Security Admin | Form W-7 | Form SS-4 |
| Need US residency | |||
| Non-resident can get one |
Read across the bottom rows: as a non-resident you can’t get an SSN, but you can get both an ITIN and an EIN, and neither requires you to set foot in the US.
SSN: the one most founders can’t get (and don’t need)
A Social Security number is issued to US citizens and people authorized to work in the US. If you’re a non-resident founder with no US visa, you can’t get one, and that’s fine. Almost nothing about forming and running a US LLC from abroad actually requires a personal SSN.
The myth that you need an SSN to do anything American is where most of the confusion starts. Banks, the IRS, and payment processors have other numbers for non-US people. So cross the SSN off your list and focus on the two you can actually obtain.
Where the SSN does matter is if you later become a US person — say you move there on a work visa or green card. Until then, it’s not a gap you need to fill. Every step of running a foreign-owned LLC has a non-resident path that uses one of the other two numbers instead.
EIN: your company’s number, and the one you’ll use most
The EIN (Employer Identification Number) is your LLC’s federal tax ID. It’s what opens a US business bank account, what platforms like Stripe ask for, and what the IRS uses to identify the company. You request it on Form SS-4.
The important part for non-residents: an EIN belongs to the business, not to you, and you get it with no SSN. You file the SS-4 directly with the IRS, listing yourself as the “responsible party,” and the IRS issues the number. There’s no residency test and no requirement to have an ITIN first. It just takes longer for non-residents — a few weeks by fax or mail rather than the instant online issuance US persons get.
A common wrong assumption is that you need a personal tax number before the company can get one. You don’t. The EIN doesn’t depend on you having an SSN or ITIN. We file the SS-4 and obtain the EIN for you regardless of where you live or what passport you hold.
ITIN: your personal number, only when filing requires it
An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is for an individual who has a US tax filing requirement but isn’t eligible for an SSN. You request it on Form W-7, usually attached to the tax return that creates the need for it.
Here’s the key: you don’t get an ITIN “just in case.” You get one when you personally have to file a US return — typically a Form 1040-NR because you have US-source or effectively connected income. Many non-resident owners whose LLC income isn’t US-connected never need an ITIN at all. It’s a downstream step tied to a real filing, not a setup requirement.
An ITIN looks like an SSN — nine digits — but it does less. It exists purely so the IRS can process your return and match your payments. It isn’t work authorization, it isn’t an immigration status, and it won’t open doors an SSN does. Treat it as a tax-filing key and nothing more, requested at the moment a filing makes it necessary.
Which one do you need, and when
Map the number to the task and it’s straightforward:
-
Forming the LLC
No personal number needed. The company is created at the state level; nobody asks for your SSN, ITIN, or EIN to file the formation.
-
Getting the company tax ID and banking
You need the EIN. File Form SS-4, then use the EIN to open a business bank account and connect payment processors.
-
Filing US taxes personally
Only if you have US-taxable income. Then you’ll need an ITIN via Form W-7, filed with your 1040-NR.
So the typical non-resident path is: form the LLC, get the EIN, open a bank account, operate. The ITIN enters the picture later, and only if your income makes a personal US return necessary. Plenty of founders run a compliant US LLC for years with an EIN and no ITIN.
When a US bank or fintech asks for your “tax ID number” for a business account, they mean the company’s EIN, not a personal number. Entering or expecting an SSN here is the most common stall point for non-resident founders. The EIN is the answer.
The annoying part isn’t understanding the three numbers. It’s the IRS paperwork and the wait — the SS-4 filed correctly, the responsible-party details right, the fax or mail follow-up, and later the W-7 if you need it. We handle that end to end: we get your EIN with no SSN as part of forming your LLC, and we sort the ITIN if and when a filing requires it. For the formation itself, start with our guide on forming a US LLC as a non-resident.
Get your EIN with no SSN
Start my US LLC →